On The Future Of The Tamils In Sri Lanka And Holding Of A Referendum On Eelam

Dr.Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India, I write to you on an issue of serious concern regarding the political future of the Tamil community in Sri Lanka – the possible dilution or even repeal of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution.

I had written to you on several occasions conveying the strong sense of outrage and anguish amongst the people and political parties in Tamil Nadu and Tamil people all over the world regarding the ethnic pogrom and genocide by the Sri Lankan Army against the Tamil population in Sri Lanka in the closing stages of the civil war and the failure of the international community to hold the Sri Lankan regime accountable for these acts. I had also pointed out that human rights abuses against the Tamil population continue and Tamils in Sri Lanka are being subjected to harassment, discrimination and torture. I had drawn attention to the fact that there were no signs that Tamils would be given equality of status with Sinhalese and devolved autonomy and democratic rights.

It was in this background that the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly had passed a Resolution on 27th March, 2013, calling for, inter alia, a referendum on a “separate Eelam” amongst Tamils in Sri Lanka and Tamils displaced from Sri Lanka and resident in other countries. While the aspirations of the Sri Lankan Tamils can be realised only through a Tamil Eelam, the process of securing the right to self determination, through the devolvement of democratic decentralisation by the 13th Amendment to the Constitution of Sri Lanka, should not be jeopardised in any manner. There are disturbing signs that the Sri Lankan Government is not serious about rehabilitating and restoring the lives of the Tamil minority.

It appears that our worst fears regarding the intentions and motives of the present Sri Lankan regime are coming true. The Sri Lankan President, Mr. Mahinda Rajapakse, has announced the setting up of a Parliamentary Select Committee to review the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan Constitution. The hawkish Sinhalese right wing groups have been resorting to agitations and protests to pressure the Sri Lankan Government to repeal the 13th Amendment prior to the elections to the Northern Provincial Council proposed to be held in September later this year. In public statements, the Sri Lankan Defence Secretary, Mr.Gotabhaya Rajapakse, has directly called for the repeal of the 13th Amendment. A recent delegation led by Mr.Basil Rajapakse, Minister for Economic Development, Sri Lanka, had also met the Union External Affairs Minister of India, presumably to justify their stand in this matter.

You will appreciate that the people of Tamil Nadu are justifiably alarmed and dismayed over what appears to be a clear attempt to set the clock back and to renege on an international agreement, namely the Indo Sri Lankan accord, 1987, which was entered into in order to resolve the ethnic strife in Sri Lanka, to bring peace to the surcharged security environment in the region and to secure equality and dignity for the Sri Lankan Tamils.

It is a fact that the Government of Sri Lanka has never been serious about genuine devolution of power to the Tamils and that it has regularly gone back on assurances and reneged on promises made in this regard. The merger of the Northern and Eastern provinces into one administrative unit as contemplated in the Indo Sri Lankan accord was, in fact, dismantled by the Government of Sri Lanka in January, 2007, following an order of the Sri Lankan Supreme Court nullifying the merger. It is significant that this order was obtained by the sustained pressure and petition of the Janata Vimukthi Peramuna Party to form a separate council for the East, in which no other interested parties were allowed to be heard. The demerger of the North Eastern Council has to be construed as a serious setback to the Indo Sri Lankan accord and, perhaps, as a sinister first step leading to the eventual abrogation and repeal of the 13th Amendment, which has starkly appeared on the agenda now.

We are of the considered opinion that India cannot afford to be a passive bystander at this juncture. We have a commitment to protect the life and liberties of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, whose distinct identity and cultural presence in Sri Lanka, particularly in the Northern and Eastern regions, was the guiding principle behind the Indo Sri Lankan accord that led to the notification of the 13th Amendment to the Sri Lankan constitution. We also have a commitment to ensure that the process of reconciliation, rehabilitation and reconstruction of the broken lives of the Sri Lankan Tamils, by the establishment of democratic institutions of Self-Government, is not derailed by the insidious attempts now being made by the Sri Lankan Government to jettison the 13th Amendment. Such a development will spell doom for the lives and liberties of the Sri Lankan Tamils, who will again face the prospect of a return to thraldom under the Sinhalese military and majority. This will seriously impact the peace process itself and again endanger the security environment of the region.

Tamils in Tamil Nadu and the Tamil Diaspora spread across the world are justifiably outraged and incensed over the impunity with which the Sri Lankan Government is ignoring international sentiments and binding Resolutions relating to reconciliation and rehabilitation and the ongoing gross human rights abuses against Sri Lankan Tamils. For Tamil Nadu, this turn of events will also mean a threat to its coastal security, the internal security environment of the State and the prospect of a renewed influx of refugees into the State.

I wish to reiterate the Resolution of the Tamil Nadu Assembly dated 27th March, 2013, regarding the holding of a Referendum on Eelam. In the present turn of events, when the Sri Lankan Government is acting with impunity to take away even the limited political rights available to the Tamils, I strongly urge the Government of India to take all possible steps to bring pressure to bear upon the Sri Lankan Government not to take any steps to repeal or even dilute the 13th Amendment in any manner. The Government of India should ensure that the process of democratic decentralization, which is integral to the survival of the Tamils in Sri Lanka, is in no way jeopardised. This should eventually lead to the Tamils of Sri Lanka realising their legitimate aspirations. I hope that the Government of India, as a leader in the region and as a champion of human rights and democracy, will decisively take a bold stand in support of the much discriminated against and long suffering Tamil minorities in Sri Lanka.

79 Responses to On The Future Of The Tamils In Sri Lanka And Holding Of A Referendum On Eelam

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I don’t know how you can justify a referendum, for tamils outside the country.Naturally they will all say they want eelam,because many of them won’t be living in eelam anyway.You have to find out what the people who are living in the so called eelam want,not those outside its boundaries.So tamils living outside the north and east are also out of that boundaries and should not be dragged into all this shit among the eelamists.Even the boundaries of eelam are not justifiable for a referendum because the east has only a third of tamils and was always a part of the kandyan kingdom,so does not qualify for separation based on any historical facts and therefore a referendum should not include it.

Shankar,
You are either expressing your prejudices, or reflecting the Sinhala establishment’s views. Your vehement protest to the referendum makes me suspicions.
Tamils abroad are mainly driven out by the Sri Lankan state sponsored pogroms, the war and fear of disappearances. Even now the boats taking Tamils to Australia are organized by higher ups in the regime. Most of the Tamils living outside of NorthEast in Sri Lanka would welcome the referendum, because they can move there too to escape periodical pogroms against Tamils and like as free citizens. Tamils inside North East will be happy too, to escape the state oppression they have suffered for so long.
Your arguments against any referendum don’t hold water.
Don’t you know of referendums held in the creation of several new nations in the recent past, and all of them were successful?
I wonder whether you are Tamil, though the name suggests one.
Thiru

Thiru
“You are either expressing your prejudices, or reflecting the Sinhala establishment’s views.”
Neither.I’am stating facts as it is.
—–
“Tamils abroad are mainly driven out by the Sri Lankan state sponsored pogroms, the war and fear of disappearances”
Tamils started to migrate in large numbers after the 1983 riots.The doors of western countries were open wide for them because of the groundswell of sympathy.Then those who settled in the western countries got down their balance kith and kin one by one and now there are about a million tamils in the diaspora.
Most of these tamil diaspora are getting a first world education for their children and education is a number one priority for them.Are they going to disrupt that by bringing their children to eelam?Besides the children will now be very proficient in the English language unlike most of their parents and will only be knowing a smattering of tamil.Many of the diaspora established themselves in occupations there and are they going to come back for substantially less income.Also the older diaspora would like to spend their twilight years with their grown up children,and also enjoy the first world health facilities,disability care and various benefits given to older citizens.If they want to visit srilanka on holidays they can do so even now without an eelam.
So are you going to ask people whether they want an eelam when they are not going to live in it?Of course they will all say yes because they want to have the cake and eat it too,and in the process it will only muddy the waters for those who genuinely want eelam and have to live in it too.The diaspora are not a small number.They are 50 percent of the tamils of srilankan origin who are living in srilanka.
The tamils in srilanka are now about 3.1 million consisting of 2.3 million of tamils whose ancestors have been in srilanka for more than ten centuries and 850000 tamils whose ancestors were brought down from tamilnadu by the british to work in the tea plantations.This is from the 2011 census.
Now these 850000 tamils of indian origin are not going to get the citizenship of eelam because the transnational government in their charter i believe state that those who can show that their ancestors are from the north and east will get citizenship.So why are you wanting to have a referendum for them?
Out of the 2.3 million tamils of srilankan origin a million are in the north and 600000 are in the east.The balance 700000 are outside the north and east.
The 700000 living outside the north and east will be given citizenship of eelam anyway if they can prove they are of north east origin.So why have a referendum for them?If they want to they will apply and move over,if they don’t want to they will stay put there or get chased out to eelam anyway.Why drag them into all this shit because they are going to be ones anyway who are going to be most affected by all this eelam drama and probably will have to come to eelam with only the clothes on their backs after getting a good beating too.I won’t be surprised if the tamils of indian origin also queue up in front of the indian high commision with only the clothes on their backs and the traditional beating too or refugees in eelam.
The tamils living outside the north and east and the tamils of indian origin are not asking for a referendum,so why drag them into it too.You northern tamils think that tamils are you only.
As for the 600000 tamils in the east,they have been living in a multi ethnic society unlike you northerners who dragged them also into your eelam dream and now it is obvious that they want out of it.Why don’t you let them be without disrupting their lives further and get on with whatever you want to do.If you want to have referendum in the north,go ahead and try to get it.
In a nutshell,don’t drag others always into your selfish ambitions.Don’t keep on disrupting others lives while comfortably ensconced in foreign climes with you and your kids having ellam,not eelam,while those left behind in srilanka have to eke out a meager living.

Shankar,
We hear two of their master’s voices. Tamils started to flee Sri Lanka since 1958 anti-Tamil pogrom. Then in 1977, and I can go on, and still continuing. You see all the boats going to Australia risking their lives.
Enough of state propaganda – you can’t hold the truth back.

Dear Shankar:
Not just English – but French, German, Norwegian, Italian too.
Re. your comments on the people of recent Indian origin, my take is TGTE has declared all Tamils from any part of the world are welcome – not that Thonda’s people will rush in.
I know of some well settled senior Tamils in the West who are already repairing their homes in the NEP to return here in their last days. When normalcy returns more, perhaps from different age
groups, may come.
Senguttuvan

“Re. your comments on the people of recent Indian origin, my take is TGTE has declared all Tamils from any part of the world are welcome –”
dear senguttuvan,if 5 million tamils of the most depressed caste in tamilnadu want to come will they get citizenship of eelam?

senguttuvan,i asked that because i can personally arrange that.Not 5 million,nearly 10 to 12 million want to come,but initially we can start with 5 million.Next stage in 3 years another 3 million and in another 2 years another 2 million.
Have we got to arrange our own transport or will eelam provide?

You see senguttuvan,there is a water problem in tamilnadu with rivers not enough to feed them in addition to being treated like shit by the upper castes.BTW is there rivers in eelam?is there plenty of fish or have our brethren finished them with trawlers?

“Re. your comments on the people of recent Indian origin, my take is TGTE has declared all Tamils from any part of the world are welcome ”
senguttuvan,i looked at the charter again and i give below excerpt
[Citizenship Policy:
21. Citizenship will be extended to all those born in the homeland or descended from those born in the homeland. Provisions will be made for obtaining citizenship through naturalization and also for holding dual citizenship.]
where is the “all tamils from any part of the world” in it.
as for the tamils in the hill country special provisions have been made,the excerpt i give below
[Whenever the hill country Tamils choose to settle in Tamil Eelam, citizenship rights will be extended to them forthwith and the state shall implement special programs for their welfare.]

Exactly Shanker,this is what I have been saying too. If the northers have problem,call it by a proper name and try to find a solution,instead of dragging all the Tamils in to it unnnecessarily. As for a referandum,if to be held, should be held for the whole counrty and not limited to the Tamils only.

They say, over sixty five million Tamils living in Tamil Nadu. In Sri Lanka, the figure is less than three million. But unlike India most Tamils live outside the so-called Eelam in Sri Lanka. And that kind of demography alone negate the demand for separation. However, just like Tamils in Sri Lanka, Tamils of India, I mean predecessors of Jaya and Karuna too have complained of discrimination and fought elections for separation. In the circumstances, I think it is prudent if Tamils ask for a referendum for separation of Tamil Nadu first.

India should take back Kachchativu island and puncture Rajapassa’s boasting that he is Emperor of Lanka!
Let’s see how the boastful Rajapassa regime and JVP which has benefited from the 13th Amendment most but denies Provincial govt to the Tamil Minority responds to the retraction of Kachchativu!

Jnmes Bond, India cannot take back Kachchativu. Though this is a small islet rule by South Indian kings in many centuries ago, it is inside the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. This islet from Indian coast is 12 miles away and from SL waters it is 10.5 miles away. I don’t know why Sirimavo sign an agreement with India to retrieve this islet whilst it’s already in our side. What she need to do at that time was to request from the UN to demarcate the sea boundaries in between both countries according to the UN charters.
India always very cunning with their neighbours and this is a fine example for it.

Manisekaran,Whether this islet ruled by tamils in TN or the Indian government, it is in Srilankan territory. I gave you the real facts. According to UN charter, when there is dispute between two countries for sea boundaries, the sea divide into two equally for both parties. Don’t argue with me,refer the UN charter. As I said this islet is 12 miles away from the closest point from Indian coast and 10.5 miles from SL coast.
India deceive poor Sirimavo and ended up sighning a treaty or Indo-Lanka agreement in favour of India. They did the same thing during JRJ time. At that time India force JRJ to sign the agreement. Let’s see what they going do this time.

Stupid UN you. Where is Andaman and Nicobar Islands and who rules it?- you won get even a visa to visit. Where is Gibralter and who rules it? Sirima the kusi amma sent the population to the bins in search of food while enjoying Xmas cake like Rajaporkistan.

Rana,common sense says you may be right,but what about the falkland isles.They are a few miles to argentina,but thousands of miles away from Britain.Argentina seems to have the claims to that island,though british have settled some people there.If the UN is recognising the falklands as British territory,then why not kachativu as indian territory because historically control of it has been from tamilnadu.The fact that there is a difference of 1.5 miles is insignificant compared to the falklands where poor argentina had to go to war too because of the thousands of miles of difference between argentina and britain.If distance is the yardstick by which these matters are decided then it should be the same for everyone,so lets stop talking about a measly 1.5 miles difference.History seems to be the key factor by which international judgement is made.

The current territory is altered after katchtheevu was handed over under Indo-lanka accord, prior to that it was under Indian territory. Got it? If we take back katchtheevu it not just meant only an islet also the maritime boundary as before the accord. That is the purpose of TN government asking islet back since your military also thinking that it is your territory and TN fishermen has no right to come there which is violation of Indo-lanka accord. In the accord, it is clearly written TN fishermen have right to fish around in that boundary, can dry fish and net in Katchatheevu and also offer prayer to church.When you deny our fishermen their right, why should we leave that islet to you?

“In the accord, it is clearly written TN fishermen have right to fish around in that boundary, can dry fish and net in Katchatheevu and also offer prayer to church.”
manisekeran,i think in the fresh agreement those things were cancelled.I give excerpt from wikipedia
[Under the treaty agreement of 1974, Indian fishermen do not have rights to fishing around the island as it is within the territorial waters of Sri Lanka. Indian fishermen were only allowed to dry their nets and use Church for religious observance. With the 1976 agreement where delimitation of International Maritime Boundary Line (IMBL) was agreed upon as required by the UNCLOS, Indian fishermen do not have any right to even engage in drying of nets and use of Church in Kachchativu as 1976 agreement supersedes 1974 agreement.]
Don’t try to take our kachativu ah.Remember what happened when our Gajabahu invaded and also remember the thrashing you got in the semifinals of the tri series in the west indies,though you won the finals by a whisker.

Shankar,
Historically, it has precedents in several newly formed countries where referendum included the relevant diaspora. The diaspora came about due to the oppression in those “mother” countries concerned.

Now, all this woman has to do is give the citizens of her squalid state of Tamil Nadu a referendum to be/not to be part of Indian Union.
The Tamils in Sri Lanka have better living conditions, better education, better quality health care. When they leave Sri Lanka, they go farthest from their filthy homeland – that Tamil Nadu. Mind your own business of caring for the betterment of tens of millions of under fed, uneducated, suffering Tamils in Tamil Nadu. Tamils in Sri Lanka suffered mostly under the Indian thugs and Indian rapists and thieves of the IPKF. Get a life woman!

Lal,
They need to free the Tamils who are not Vellala from Vellala Hegemony, and show that they can form an Egalitarian society and treat citizen with dignity..
The referendum should be to:
1. Abolish the Caste system
2. Form an Egalitarian Society
The Sinhala Society is better, but not as worse as the Hindu Caste system. The Sinhala need to clean up their Sinhala Buddhism, and follow the 4 noble paths and 8 noble truths, without distorting the True Buddhism.
Restrict the Monks and priests to the temple and kovil. They should not be on the street as Thngs and criminals.

Well said – follow the principles of Buddha’s teaching, and basic principles.
It is very unfortunate that SL should have come to this sad state.
Whatever others have commented, I as a diaspora member, will come and live in a safe and honest country that Sri Lanka can become.
The caste system was abandoned long time back, let other commentators know about this.
Fortunately I left the corrupt and racial country in 1971, with the hope of returning, did not sell my house in Havelock town.
However, in the 1983 riots, my house was burnt and broken up! When the 1983 riots took place the UNP – JR, allowed it to go on for three or four days, without attempting to stop it. How many thousands of Tamils;lost their homes and were incinerated?
The Tamils of Sri Lanka have suffered enough, mainly because of the racial politics used to win elections.

Charity begins at home. Start to treat those low-castes in Jaffna equally and with dignity. Others will follow. You also need to stop these incredible hoaxes trying to look like a victim. I know you are lying. You know you are lying. Everyone else knows you are lying. Why do you keep doing this nonsense?

Many of the so-called low castes have become high caste Vellalah’s now. The places of the migrated and dead Vellalah’s are being rapidly filled by these new infusions into the caste. It is wealth and education that is making this possible. The poor in the ‘ low Castes’ will remain poor until someone in their family goes as a refugee somewhere in the west and helps elevate the monetary status of his family. You have to live in Jaffna to discern this unfolding miracle.
Dr.Rajasingham Narendran.

Yes – you are right. Poverty is the issue, not caste, any more!
This frustrated “double” Doctor Hoole who too had huge ambitions and ego tries to beat up this dead horse whenever he sees all other doors closing on his opportunities. He has repeated this many a time since his last trip to the resplendent island, booted out by his old pal Duggie.
He too had nothing but praise for MR (after abandoning his previous idol CB, after her loss) until he learnt of MR’s colours first hand.

Precisely, “Vellalar” is not taken based on merit or hard work. Its a title used to keep other less fortunate in servility. It not the person, but the culture. Surely its a low-caste him/herself that must pass judgement whether hurts or not. Speaking of titles, which one were you bequeathed once born?

A ‘ Vellahla’ from a family that had not done any farming ( Vellaanmai ) for at least three centuries! My grandfather was a graduate in agriculture and served in the agricultural department. He was thus a Vellahla. I am a Veterinarian and Animal Scientist, and having served as university pedagogue in these subjects and subsequently in corporate forming, have been in the Vellaanmai area. Thus, I am a legitimate Vellahla by profession!
Dr.RN

One fails to understand the conciliatory tone in all of India’s dealings with its much smaller and less powerful neighbour Sri Lanka, considering the wartime excesses and serious violations of Human Rights motivated and supported, during and after the war, mainly by the Sri Lanka government. ?

JayaLalitha and Karunanidhi became billionaires at the expense of the Tamils. If Tamilnadu is a likeable place to Tamils how come Tamils don’t like Tamilnadu instead they migrate to Sri Lankan even todate.
It is said, Jayalalitha presented a gold plate to every guest who came to her daughter’s wedding. That is how she used her position to become filthy rich as a politician.
If Jayalalitha is genuinely interested about Tamils she should look after Tamilnadu Tamils first and she does not do that.

Jimmy,
“…If Tamilnadu is a likeable place to Tamils how come Tamils don’t like Tamilnadu instead they migrate to Sri Lankan even to date…”
Your knowledge of today’s Tamilnadu, I hate to say, is abysmal. Suggest
have a chat with some – Tamil or Sinhalese – who know contemporary history and you will learn hardly anyone from Tamilnadu sought to come
and live here. Unless you are talking of SL refugees there, which, again, proves you need some coaching in the subject. This JJ’s daughter’s wedding, Gold-plate story etc are equally conflicting cons.
Senguttuvan

Maali and Jim Softy remind one of the old saying you can wake he who is asleep but cannot a fully awake man – pretending to be asleep.
JJ held an ostentatious wedding for her foster son Sudagaran a few years ago. The fellow was thrown out after a while. It was guests who showered the groom with gold, which is common in the weddings of the politically important – a terrible Indian weakness.
There are no illegal immigrants in numbers from India now as we did in the 1960-80 period The last residue of the Stateless (98,000) was naturalised years ago.
Senguttuvan

Also most of those who were selcted to be repatriated opted to stay behind and were naturalized by JR in the70’s. Also the Sri Lankan Tamil refugees in TN are trying to cross over to Australia by BOAT!Thats how good the place is.

Thiru you are either expressing prejudices or portraying the Eelam gimmic.
Tamils abroad are fine unless you pick up the crumbs.
Mahavi Senathiraja kicked in the bud & Vigneshwaran nominated. This is caste & status. Poor Amirthalingam’s butler kicked out.

At least there is Tamil Nadu to speak for the Tamils. They need someone to speak for them. If Tamil speak loud here, people in power pretend to be deaf or retort in a diabolical fashion. I do not hold a brief for India which trained the LTTE and prepared for them for the war. It is unforgivable crime. But after the war we could have practiced our Sri Lankan traditional humane values. We boast about our value system. Where did it go after the war.
This government had the best opportunity to better the situ of the Tamils after the war in a spirit of warmth. What did we find instead- army taking over their lands, sexual harassment, etc etc in an environment of triumphalism. It was a victory march with huge boots in the area in which Tamils were residing before. Where there are no Buddhists, temples are being built, statues are planted to show the Supremacy of the Sinhala Buddhists. I don’t think if the government had treated them with kindness, that the Tamils will even want the 13th amendment. In May 2009, they had enough of Prabakaran. They were tired of him particularly taking the children away. Diaspora and the elitist Tamils were out of the country enjoying themselves and supporting the LTTE, but the Tamils living here paid dearly for that illusion called Eelam.
May 2009 and afterwards was a golden opportunity that we Sinhalese lost. Army is honoured- they DESERVE to be honoured- but at the same time condemn their atrocities.Condemn their excesses. As the saying goes – We do not have to stab our selves just because it was a golden sword. Admit their valuable contribution but at the same time be mindful of their excesses. Don’t excuse the army saying – in all countries they are like that- but we are different.

Priya I agree with you fully. Mahinda Rajapaksa has not changed and has failed to adopt a magnanimous policy toward the Tamil People. I do not agree with Indian involvement at all but it appears that Rajapaksa reacts only when his arm is twisted, and some of it is required now.

Priya- Don’t talk nonsense. We never had traditional human values. You are living in a cloud. We always want to kill each other.
If you read Mahavamsa, it is a story of brothers killing brothers, sons killing fathers. If I remember correct 22 kings in Mahavamsa had been murdered.
We killed each other over a fence/ over a coconut falling in each others garden.
We killed Sinhala youths in 1971, 1989. Unarmed Tamils in 77, 81. 83. Then we killed armed tigers and civilians in the 30 year war. We can never live in peace. We want war. Now they may start with the Muslims who knows.

Abhaya,they are not asking for separation because they have got devolution.So why don’t you also stop being cussard and give devolution to the tamils of srilanka so that they also won’t want separation.
People who get devolution can see both sides of the coin.For example the people of tamilnadu can see by becoming the car manufacturing hub of india,the immense benefits that they are getting.If they were a separate country then investors would have plonked their money into some other state in India because they can get the benefits of the domestic market as well as exports,whereas in tamilnadu it would have been only exports because the domestic market would not be worthwile to invest in if it was a separate country.
Similarly when you give devolution to the tamils in srilanka they will start to weigh up both sides of the coin.On one side they have full freedom to manage their own affairs and also the benefits of freely using the rest of the country too.On the other side if they get separation they will lose all these benefits for a little bit more freedom to manage their own affairs in the form of external affairs and defence.They will consider it not worth it.That is what happened in quebec when they rejected separation in referendum.

manisekaran thangavelu
“if it had happened all these needless sufferings to people would have been avoided.”
Not so, until state recognises the need for empowering the people and creates a level playing field.
The nature and structure of Sri Lankan state is such that it is undemocratic, power is concentrated in the hands of fewer people and above all ruled by Sinhala/Buddhist patriots, manned by Sinhala/Buddhist bureaucracy and the Sinhala/Buddhist armed forces ensure the statist structure is preserved with sheer brutality.
The preservation of statist structure is backed by Indian establishment at a mind boggling cost to lives and properties.
Many Tamil observers think that Sinhalese are enjoying the economic and political benefits. It is not true.
Sinhala/Buddhist state was responsible for 1971 and 1987 to 1991 war crimes perpetrated on innocent Sinhala youth.
Take time to travel and speak to people from down south. You will learn more about Sri Lanka and how its people live and eke out a living in total silence.
Democracy for all people
Empowering all people
Devolution for all people
Accountability of all crimes.
Transparency is a must
Dignity to all people
….
..

Of course, the Tamils in India can have the eelam in Tamil Nadu not here in Sri Lanka. We Sri Lankans irrespective of race, caste and creed are living in harmony. Please , please for the God’s sake , mind your own business there not here. It seems to me as a Tamil that Jayalalitha is really lunatic and have to be admitted to an asylum very soon. Consult a very good doctor.

Please read and understand what she means – for a peaceful permanent political solution – Referendum and Tamil Eelam, and India need to initiate or otherwise, it would be the begining of the end of a united India.
Please don’t mix your racist politics, ignorance, stupidity, caste and religion. This is about basic human rights, about peace and dignity for the peoples of Sri Lanka and Tamil Eelam and their prosperity.
Manicka Vasagar

If jayalalitha wants to help Tamil people … ..if she think that sri lakan government not support to the Tamil people so she can help to tamilieans to create their EELAM in Tamilnadu… so why she disturb to our lanka ??

I am very grateful for the CM of tamil nadu calling for Referendum on the issue of devolution of powers and giving tamils opportunity for tamils in North and East of Sri Lanka and natural citizens of Ceylon who are living outside Ceylon (Sri Lanka named by sinhalese) to survive the genocide perpetrated by successive Sri Lankan government Regimes and killed more than 1/2 million and making more than a million to flee the country and excluding more than million up country tamil from getting citizenship of ceylon since ceylon independent from british in 1948.
Tamils in ceylon for millennia have been under the protection of tamil kingdoms in south india. When india was created by the British this protection enjoyed by tamils in the ceylon has come to an end. But it continued under British rule until independent of ceylon in 1948. The tamil kingdoms in south india formed into tamil nadu did not have the right of intervening in foreign affairs this gave the opportunity for the majority population representatives within united Sri Lanka to carry out with out any constraints Sri Lankan state sponsored pogroms and enforced disappearances.
Today after the “Mulivakkal” Tamil nadu with the student protest and under the leadership of Rt Hon Selvi J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu the resolution in the state assembly has undertaken step to protect the legitimate rights of eelam tamils. All the tamils who consider them to be a champions freedom should welcome this development in tamil nadu who had protected eelam tamils for millennia from barbaric attacks from south ceylon.
The last time a sinhalese king rule both tamils and sinhalese is “Thuthda kaimunu” before a millenia. Last 60 years because of the mistake of British for their convenience let the sinhalese to rule tamils. The British should take all the blame for their colonisation policies which is giving the sinhalese to do the genocide of tamils freely under the pretest of territorial integrity and the false pretest of terrorism.
Island of ceylon belong to two nations i.e tamil nation is north and east and the sinhala nation. The British who join the two nations together in 1833 and joining india as a single unit for the administrative convenience has created way for genocide of Eelam tamils (ceylon tamils).
The tamils in ceylon are a nation with own demarcated territory where they have lived for millennia with their kingdoms not as a minority. They lived like the scottish and wales in UK. If tamils are minority then the telugu people, malayalees in kerala, kannada people are all minority within india and Scottish, wales and irish are minorities within UK.
I request the Rt Hon Selvi J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu not to call eelam tamils as minority. We are not minority this mistaken identity is again created by british colonisers.
Both India and Briton has the moral duty protect tamils because india as a unit which include tamilnadu who gave eelam tamils protection in the past. The briton who join both countries into single units for administrative convenience under unitary structures with out protections for Nations have the moral duty to protect eelam tamils in north and east of Ceylon who are facing genocide.
As this is the mistake of Briton to join the two nation under one unitary structure tamils with the lower population in that structure with out international protection. It is the duty to Briton to protect the tamil nation within ceylon. As the genocide of tamils taking place it is the duty of Britain to take the step forward to conduct a referendum like the one proposed by British government in 2014 in scotland. We tamils living in Briton should influence the British Government to take the step for a referendum which is the right way of resolving conflicts of this nature.
I request tamil nadu to pressurise india the regional power to join in hand with the Briton for conducting this referendum supervised by UN to find out whether tamils want to live under the unitary structure created by Britain in ceylon or not.
I once again thank the Rt Hon Selvi J Jayalalithaa, Chief Minister of Tamil Nadu for taking the right step at the right time to protect the rights of tamils in Ceylon as the member and representative of that community.
Manivannan MP
Lodon NorthEast constituency UK
Transnational Government of Tamil Eelam.

Jayalalitha’s Swiss Bank Account has Forty Four Thousand crores.
Muthuvel Karunanidhi is not far behind with Thirty Three Thousand crores.
Together they should hold a referendum at their expense to ask Naduans whether they want to absorb the long suffering Tamil refugees in the camps there, into the main stream as Nadu Tamils , and at least let the children attend proper schools.
That may even neutralize the demerit points clocked up by instigating the LTTE supporters to attack our poor Sinhala Buddhist devotees at Mahabodhi.

Utter stupid as usual, it is Indian government refugee policy that is not allowing Srilankan tamils to take jobs in market and all biharis running like rat in chennai to take those jobs. Stop blaming Tn for everything.If any tamils want to marry srilankan refugee, the current indian law does not recognize it, do you even know that before vomitting here? My friends have married Srilankan but they still struggle for indian citizenship. Stupid people like you who are root cause balme everyone else but dont see their back

The debate here should not be about scoring brownies. It should be about facing facts squarely.
1. The history of the existence of two Nations, the Singhalese Nation and the Tamil Nation in the Island is not myth. The British destroyed the Tamil Nation when they handed power, through a unitary set up, to the Singhalese who, by virtue of numbers, subjugated the Tamil Nation; A process starting with the departure of the British and continuing to this day.
2. There is solid proof of the intentions of the Singhalese to claim the whole Island for themselves; The State is seen to be doing everything possible to drive the Tamil population out of the country
3. All stipulations for legitimising an ethnicity in a pluralistic environment to call for self-determination are more than satisfied.
4. With geopolitical interests set aside the international community has the moral responsibility to address concerns of the Tamils in the Island on humanitarian grounds, sincerely invoking values and international conventions in place, precisely to address their predicament.
5. A referendum has to involve not only the Tamils yet languishing back home but also those who were fortunate to settle elsewhere, leaving behind the inimical environment but not willing to shed their claims to their motherland. It is, perhaps, precisely for this reason that in countries like Canada the passports indicate the individual’s original nationality, identifying the countries from which they emigrated.

Sridas
“1. The history of the existence of two Nations, the Singhalese Nation and the Tamil Nation in the Island is not myth. The British destroyed the Tamil Nation when they handed power, through a unitary set up, to the Singhalese who, by virtue of numbers, subjugated the Tamil Nation;”
Agree with you,but why is eelam then encompassing the east too?The jaffna kingdom did not have the east,it was part of the kandyan kingdom.So any claims by the tamils should be for the noth only.
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“5. A referendum has to involve not only the Tamils yet languishing back home but also those who were fortunate to settle elsewhere”
Why should they vote at a referendum,because they are not going to come back and live in it.There should be a stipulation that they should get rid of their foreign citizenship before they can vote.
I also believe that referendum should not be held for the 700000 tamils living outside the north and east,because they are asking for it.Many have settled for generations in colombo etc.Do you agree?
Also the 850000 tamils of indian origin need not vote at a referendum because they will not get citizenship of eelam according to the transnational government which wants proof of northeast ancestry.
The 600000 tamils in the east also should not vote at a referendum because they were not part of the tamil nation historically that you were speaking about.Also they are living in a multiethnic society.
So the referendum should be confined only to the north,do you agree?

Shanker,
A referendum is to address issues of affected parties. Tamils in the North and East together with those settled in Colombo and outside the country are affected parties. Just go back to the pogroms of 1977, 1983 etc. To save themselves from the mob Tamils had to flee to the North and East. Why? Because they felt safe in their traditional homelands. Would’t this be reason enough for the 700,000 Tamils living in Colombo and elsewhere to have a say at the envisaged Referendum? Further, “Dual Citizenship”is something in vogue, by which an emigrant could retain his or her ties to their land of birth. There is absolutely no need for one to relinquish citizenship of the country of domicile to retain that of the individual’s land of birth. Remember that these are progressive innovations to keep with the times and in place giving due weight to humanitarian considerations. Of course, we should be cognizant of very arbitrary requirements that may be thrown in by a regime such as the one now in Sri Lanka. Such would certainly not be the case with the State of Tamil Eelam, going by the recently promulgated Tamil Eelam Charter where the relevant section reads: “ Whenever the Hill Country Tamils choose to settle in Tamil Eelam citizenship rights will be extended to them forthwith and the State shall implement special programmes for their welfare”. The 850,000 Indian Tamils living in various parts of the Island will certainly qualify for Eelam citizenship and as such, having a stake in Eelam they too will vote at the Referendum.
A referendum is to address issues of affected parties. Tamils in the North and East together with those settled in Colombo and outside the country are affected parties. Just go back to the pogroms of 1977, 1983 etc. To save themselves from the mob Tamils had to flee to the North and East. Why? Because they felt safe in their traditional homelands. Would’t this be reason enough for the 700,000 Tamils living in Colombo and elsewhere to have a say at the envisaged Referendum? Further, “Dual Citizenship”is something in vogue, by which an emigrant could retain his or her ties to their land of birth. There is absolutely no need for one to relinquish citizenship of the country of domicile to retain that of the individual’s land of birth. Remember that these are progressive innovations to keep with the times and in place giving due weight to humanitarian considerations. Of course, we should be cognizant of very arbitrary requirements that may be thrown in by a regime such as the one now in Sri Lanka. Such would certainly not be the case with the State of Tamil Eelam, going by the recently promulgated Tamil Eelam Charter where the relevant section reads: “ Whenever the Hill Country Tamils choose to settle in Tamil Eelam citizenship rights will be extended to them forthwith and the State shall implement special programmes for their welfare”. The 850,000 Indian Tamils living in various parts of the Island will certainly qualify for Eelam citizenship and as such, having a stake in Eelam they too will vote at the Referendum.

Sridas
“A referendum is to address issues of affected parties.”
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Depends on what the referendum is about.This is about separation.In other words taking a chunk of land that currently belongs to you and others too.So you can’t just go asking someone do you want to have this land only for yourself without the other owners being in the deed,unless you can prove that the other owners should not have been included in the deed of ownership in the first place.Just because you as one of the owners was affected by the others in some manner does not automatically give you the right to some exclusive piece of the property that you can just walk away with.You have to prove that part of the property was indeed at one time exclusively yours and the others were included by force by someone else.The only part of the country that fits that bill is the north which for 400 years was exclusively ruled by the tamils until the colonials amalgamated it by force with the rest of the country.Hence you are also justified in having a referendum in the north if you feel that you have been affected to such a extent by the sinhalese that you want a divorce.
You yourself were the one who initially brought out the historic sinhala nation and tamil nation theories to justify a referendum and now after i pointed out that the east was never part of the tamil nation historically,now you are veering away towards affected parties theories.Are you ditching the sinhala and tamil nation theory now?
So the 1 million tamils can have a referendum in the north and if they vote overwhelmingly yes,then the international community will have no option but to grant them a new nation recognised by the UN like Timor.
However they will have to keep the door open for the flood of refugees that will be streaming into eelam from the rest of the country,just like from Jorden at the moment from syria.I hope the diaspora will pull out their wallets and contribute even more generously than what they have done for the people currently affected in the north and east.Diaspora also as you say can come and live in Eelam without having all this referendum etc for them because the doors will be always open for those with dollars unlike refugees. So what is the purpose of having referendum for them.If the people of the north get their own country and want the diaspora then the matter is solved no?
We can’t just assume that the diaspora will want to live in eelam.Best way of testing this out is to tell those who have renounced their adopted countries citizenship can vote at the referendum.
You say that the due to the riots tamils have been going to the north and east which is their traditional homelands,from the rest of the country and therefore a referendum has to be held for them too.Those who have left like that are done with and the balance left don’t want to live in the north and east.Otherwise how would you explain 700000 tamils of srilankan origin living outside the north and east.They can always go now and live in the north and east anytime they want to.If they are affected as you claim why are they living there.Why should a referendum be held for them too?They are not asking for one.
Same for the 850000 tamils of indian origin.They are not affected as you claim.In fact leaders like thondaman are with the government now.
As for the eastern tamils they have indeed been affected and would probably like to have their own country,only problem being that the patch of land that they are on did not belong to them exclusively historically,but also to the muslims and sinhalese and now the ethnic composition reflects that.I see no wrong in the sinhalese colonisation schemes there because the east belonged to the kandyan kingdom and the kandyan kings permitted muslims and tamils to settle there.It is completely different from the history of the north.
As for your contention that the transnational government will allow any tamil to become citizens of eelam,I can just imagine if 10 million put up their hands from tamilnadu,let alone the 850000 tamils of indian origin in srilanka,Rudrakumaran will be rolling out the red carpet welcome.Diaspora with the dollars of course will get hugged.

Shanker,
Reference time lines are important in tracing history objectively. The Thimpu Deliberations had established the fact that the North and East are the traditional homelands of the Tamils in the Island. Of course, it is true t that Since D.S Senanayake’s time the state has been engaged in state-aided colonisation of the East with Singhalese from the south so as to modify the demography for the obvious purpose. This is happening in a much larger scale now. There is no need to go back beyond 1948, the logical reference time line. Yes, the East was Tamil territory. If for the cynical twist one desires going further back to claim or deny tenure, then by the same token the Caucasians should hand back the American Continent to the aboriginals and retreat to Europe! Though pedigree is part of it, title is largely decided on immediately past ownership and for all practical purposes the North and the East is Tamil territory and attempts at driving wedges is part of the general scheme of the Administration to weaken the Tamil cause.

The Jaffna Kingdom was not confined to the North. It extended to greater part of east also. It was after the demise of the Jaffna Kingdom the Vannimai of Batticaloa came under the sway of the Kandyan Kingdom.
In fact Jaffna and not Trincomalee or Batticaloa that functioned as a logistical base for the Kandyan kingdom, located in the central highlands without access to any seaports. They gained access to the Tamil seaports of Trincomalee and Batticaloa in the east, but the Jaffna peninsula proved more convenient as an entry port for military aid arriving from South India.
According to the Description of the Isle of Ceylon (Amsterdam 1672) by the Dutch Rev. Phillipus Baldeus, who travelled in Sri Lanka in the 17th century. the Kingdom of Jaffnapattnum consisted of the Jaffna Peninsula, the Islands off Jaffna and the Island of Mannar. But in dealing with the limitations of the kingdom, Queirós, an historian of Portuguese origin, says:
“This modest kingdom is NOT CONFINED TO THE LITTLE DISTRICT OF JAFFNAPATNAM because to it are also added the neighboring lands and those of the Vanni which is said to be name of the lordship which they held before we obtained pocession of them, separated from the proceeding by a salty river and connected only in the extremity or isthamus of Pachalapali within which the lands of Baligamo, Bedamarache and Pachalapali forming that peninsula and outside of it stretch the lands of Vanni. Crosswise from, from the side of Mannar to that of Triquillemele, being separated also from the country of Mantota in the jurisdiction of Captain of Mannar by the river Paragali;which (lands) ends in the river of the Cross in the midst of the lands of Vanni and of others which stretch as far as Triquillemele which according to the map appears to be a large tract of country”]
which indicated the kings of the kingdom just prior to capitulation to the Portuguese had jurisdiction over an area corresponding to the modern Northern Province of Sri Lanka and parts of the northern half of the eastern province and that the Portuguese claimed these based on their conquest.
At the time, the mainland south of Elephant Pass was claimed by the King of Kandy, Senerat; he and his troops were consistently harassing the Portuguese in the Jaffna Peninsula. His wife’s two sons, Vijayapala and Kumarasinghe, were also married to princesses from Jaffna. After the fall of Jaffna to the Portuguese, Senarat dispatched a 10,000 strong army to Jaffna under the command of Mudaliyar Attapattu. The Portuguese withdrew and the Kandyan army occupied Jaffna. The Portuguese General Constantino de Sá de Noronha later attacked with reinforcements from Colombo and defeated Mudaliyar Attapattu’s army and seized Jaffna. According to Portuguese and Dutch publications, the last battle for Jaffna was fought between the King of Kandyan kingdom and the Portuguese, and the Europeans seized Jaffna from the Kandyan king.[10] Following Portuguese defeat by the Dutch, the Jaffna Mannar islands and most of Jaffna’s Vannimai lands had been reincoporated into the Tamil Coylot Wannees Country by the 18th century.

“which indicated the kings of the kingdom just prior to capitulation to the Portuguese had jurisdiction over an area corresponding to the modern Northern Province of Sri Lanka and parts of the northern half of the eastern province and that the Portuguese claimed these based on their conquest.”
Thanga,what you are talking about is less than 10 percent of the eastern province.We are talking here about the broad modalities of a referendum,not the specifics and asking for something that was not a part of the tamil country pre colonial times and getting it too sounds quite far fetched for me.You are just wasting your time trying to get something that did not belong to you.Nothing like trying eh.Keep on wasting your time and energy and money for the east and its harbour.
For your information since you are a history buff read about how the present eastern tamils,a clan from tamilnadu under their chief pandian and with the help of the muslims,chased to the north the tamils who were there and took over their lands.
For your information even a small part of puttalam was part of the jaffna kingdom because of the pearl industry.
As for you saying that the kandyan king did not use the trinco harbour,i recollect that when he met the portuguese admiral when he visited the first time,it was at the trinco harbour.

shankar
“Also look at the kandyan kingdom”
Kandyan kingdom was ruled by Kallathoni Nayakars.
In fact all kingdoms were based on clan loyalty and built on sheer brutality.
Ethnic labels were recent invention.

Veddha,the kandyans brought a nayakkar prince from tamilnadu because their king rajasinghe did not leave any heirs to the throne.It does not mean that they flooded the kandyan kingdom with outsiders or something like that.It was still a sinhalese kingdom where the day to day affairs were run by kandyan nobles without whose support it would have been impossible for the telugu King to rule it.In fact the rift between kepettipola and the king occurred when the king refused to allow him to become the defacto king.Keppettipola only brought him down thinking that he can run the kingdom instead of the king and after some time get rid of him and take over,but the telugu prince who was only 17 was quite wise to that game, or would have been advised by those close to him.

shankar
“.It was still a sinhalese kingdom where the day to day affairs were run by kandyan nobles ”
The idea of Sinhala Kingdom is also new to this island invented in the past 100 or soyears.
Could you site any evidence that traces back to earliest historical period where Sinhala kingdom is mentioned.

Shanker, on his mission to exclude the East from the possible Referendum is treading into ancient history, innocently aided by Mr. Thangavelu who appears to have fallen into this trap. Progression of this debate on the basis of ancient history takes nobody anywhere as there will be no convergence, facts notwithstanding. So what exactly is the point in dissecting history in this manner. Further, in his next dispatch Shanker is most likely to say “well, the North and the East are now conquered territory and belonging to Emperor Rajapakse what is this talk about Referendum?”
Gentlemen, stick to the most generally accepted position that the North and East, for the current debate, is Tamil Territory desisting from going back to Vijaya, Ellara and Duttegemunu periods in the Island’s history. Such, understandably will be resorted to, as and when necessary, by the State that is all out to deny even the existence of Tamils in the Island.

” treading into ancient history
desisting from going back to Vijaya, Ellara and Duttegemunu periods in the Island’s history.”
Sridas,are you in your senses talking about “dutu” etc.I’am not talking about ancient history here,but the period of pre colonial times.This is an absolutely vital factor because when you ask the colonial masters to give independence,they should put it back to what was there pre independence,not back to the the amalgamated stuff that they did during their colonial rule.Otherwise you are giving independence to some but not others who are also entitled to it.You are unable to play the ace up your sleeve for the north because you also have done amalgamation of the north with the east.As a result your ace has become a dud card,because if you play it you have to forego the east because it was not part of the jaffna kingdom precolonial times.This is what you call in tamil”perasai perum tharithiram”.You are making the same mistake of GG and 50:50 asking for more than what you are entitled and getting nothing in the end.

Precisely, we should not go back to ancient history. When the colonialists left the Island, the North and the East were Tamil territory- yes, the occupants had legal tenure of the lands, bequeathed from the predecessors. This had been the rationale for treating the North and the East as traditional Tamil homeland. The merged North and East, considered to be Tamil territory was treated as one geographic entity that constituted the basis for the devolution the Indian Government had proposed as the solution to the ethnic problem through the 13th Amendment to the constitution.
Delhi’s indifference to Rakapakse’s pre-emptive demerger exercise has been a betrayal and there has been many such the Tamils could complain about but we need not go into that here. As has been unambiguously articulated by legal luminaries amongst the Tamil civil society the 13th Amendment does not seek to devolve any power whatsoever to the Tamils. Let us gloss over the deficiencies therein and get back to the question of defining the geographic boundaries of Tamil territory. Notwithstanding what Gotabaya or the BBS or for that matter, even you would like to assert, if and when an impartial adjudication is a reality there is overwhelming evidence to establish the North and the East as Tamil territory. Well G.G Ponnambalam’s position was that the Tamils constituted a separate Nation and his 50-50 claim was based on that. The Singhalese, however, managed to convince the British ( as if they cared!) that the Tamils, though a minority in the Island, will be treated as equals under a unitary Constitution. Of course, in hind sight it is abundantly clear that GGP was absolutely right in claiming 50-50 representation in parliament, because, had it been conceded the Tamils would not have been reduced to what they are now. So, for all purposes, if the Tamil question is revisited with any sincerity the North and the East being Tamil territory will qualify for a joint dispensation.Forget about the pre-colonial Kingdoms which need not be of relevance after all this water has flown under the bridge.

“When the colonialists left the Island, the North and the East were Tamil territory”
What they left it at is immaterial.What it was just before they took over is what matters.otherwise you start to justify colonisation and what it had done.For example the population of fiji is half indian brought by the british,So can you say that half of fiji belongs to them.
“The merged North and East, considered to be Tamil territory was treated as one geographic entity that constituted the basis for the devolution the Indian Government had proposed as the solution to the ethnic problem through the 13th Amendment to the constitution.”
Don’t talk half truths here.You know very well that merger was only meant to be temporary by the indians themselves because they had a clause that stated a referendum should be held in the east to see whether the easterners want the merger.Fat chance of more than 50 % saying yes.The GOSL are donkeys for not having a referendum and doing the demerger in their own arrogant fashion.If they had done it the way the indians wanted it then smooth democratic demerger it would have been.You can’t blame india if this country is full of modayas.
“Delhi’s indifference to Rakapakse’s pre-emptive demerger exercise has been a betrayal”
Naturally,they never wanted the merger in the first place,thats why they put in that clause for a referendum.If they wanted a merger they would have said to have a referendum in the northeast,not east only.Only thing is they did not expect the crude way it was done.
“As has been unambiguously articulated by legal luminaries amongst the Tamil civil society the 13th Amendment does not seek to devolve any power whatsoever to the Tamils.”
Then why are the sinhalese hardliners wanting to abolish it?If your enemy does not want you to have something,is that thing good or bad for you.Leave aside all that book knowledge and become practical for a change.Too many legal luminaries who could only get bananas for their fees took the tamils down the drain and you quote them here.
“if and when an impartial adjudication is a reality there is overwhelming evidence to establish the North and the East as Tamil territory.”
Keep dreaming,and delaying too the so called impartial adjudication because you know very well that only the north will be granted.So you have to keep on delaying it hoping that one day it will be granted in your favour.By the time that day comes most of the old fellows abroad would have died and the youngsters would have lost touch and forgotten about eelam.The sinhalese are waiting patiently for that to happen.
“Well G.G Ponnambalam’s position was that the Tamils constituted a separate Nation and his 50-50 claim was based on that ”
so you are comparing GG to Jinnah.Did GG say if we don’t get the 50:50 we want the north back to where it was before colonial times?He had an alternative to ask from the british if they did not want to grant the unreasonable 50:50 request,but he did not.Why?Ever heard of Ettapan?
“Of course, in hind sight it is abundantly clear that GGP was absolutely right in claiming 50-50 representation in parliament, because, had it been conceded the Tamils would not have been reduced to what they are now”
You are the only tamil i have heard praising that bastard.Even if it was conceded,once the british left what is to stop the sinhalese from taking it back and formulating a new constitution.Constitutions are not the ten commandments to be set in stone for ever.
“Forget about the pre-colonial Kingdoms which need not be of relevance after all this water has flown under the bridge.”
How to forget it.That is what an independent umpire is going to look at.They will see what was it like when the portuguese landed.In case you did not know that is what independence is all about,to give the people the freedom they richly deserved before the colonialists took over.What happenned during the colonial period is immaterial because it is all done by foreigners,not the natives of the land to whom it belonged.So if you consider all the happennings during the colonial period as water under the bridge then you are bigger fool than i thought.You have to point out to them to undo everything that they did,by invading someone elses land and messing up the status quo.

With the 13A the best way to promote a non-starter is to get a faction to oppose it. That gives some ‘substance’ to something which has none. These are age old ploys resorted to. Do not seek to interpret such literally.
If India did not favour a merger it could have maintained such in the Agreement. What, for god’s sake, is the need for it to go about in such devious fashion? India has never been sincere in seeking solutions for the Tamils in Sri Lanka or wherever. So what India did or meant is nothing to be discussed about. It has its own problems, Kashmir and the Naxalites, for instance. Has India ever been comfortable discussing a Referendum in Kashmir? When suspicious ‘initiatives’ of self-serving stake holders are discounted we are left to solve our problems ourselves. The LTTE tried and failed. Let us wait and see whether others would succeed.
You say what matters is the status quo prior to the arrival of the colonialists. Well there were the Singhalese and the Tamils occupying different sections of the Island. The Tamils just want to be allowed to live peacefully in the North and the East where the majority of them settled because living in amity with the Singhalese as equals has proved to be impossible. It is as simple as that. Why I wonder you are going round and round to prove nothing, as it were.
By the way, I have come to the end of the tether in this almost fruitless exchange. I am calling it a day and I may concede the last word to you as apparently it matters much to you and it does not to me!